TheBridge profile: Hibah Kamal-Grayson
Name: Hibah Kamal-Grayson
Current city: Washington, DC
Current job: Gov't Affairs and Public Policy Lead, Civics and Social Impact Search at Google
Past job: Policy Analyst at New America's Open Technology Institute
Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Maketto on H Street or Little Pearl near the Hill.
Q. Describe how a skill you learned in a previous job helped you in your current job. I was a literature major, and the ability to analyze, synthesize, and succinctly communicate complex ideas has been really useful in the policy world. I’m grateful that I got to sharpen this skill at the Open Technology Institute, where I distilled complicated tech policy issues, like broadband access and mobile privacy, down to their core for articles and white papers. It sounds so basic, but the ability to transform policy issues into coherent, compelling narratives is so important!
Q. Job advice in three words? Trust your gut.
Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? I love being part of organizations and programs that bring together folks from government, tech companies, and civil society. For example, I’m part of the Internet Law and Policy Foundry, and I’ve found it to be such a valuable way to build bridges between sectors.
Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Accountability.
Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Optimism.
Q. Favorite book/podcast/long-form article you recommend? I love reading novels, and I really do believe that fiction has the power to interrogate the role of technology in our world. Sometimes it’s really on the nose. As an example, Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story was published almost a decade ago, but it anticipates things that are now very real, like digitally-driven social credit scoring systems. So with that said, two of my favorite novels from the past decade are Tommy Orange’s There There and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah. Technology isn’t the central focus of either book, but both authors do a phenomenal job of weaving technology through their stories to underscore just how important it is in our daily lives, and how it intersects with longstanding questions around race, gender, sexuality, and power. There There explores the impact of 3-D printing, video games, and drones, and blogging plays a key role in Americanah.
Q. Living person you admire? My mom, hands down. She has overcome true injustice and loss, and has done so with unwavering kindness, courage, and optimism. She’s always looking to find the good in people, something we could all practice here in DC!
Q. If you had to live in another city, which would it be? New York or London.
Q. Last time you were completely unplugged? Wandering around vineyards in the Douro Valley last fall.
Q. How do you unwind after work? I used to be the Music Director of my college radio station, and I love making playlists for every occasion. I have playlists for cooking, driving, packing, cleaning, you name it.
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